Fishing for the first time on my first trip to Wisconsin. Catch and release but catching a crappie after all that waiting made for a not so crappy day after all!

​These are a few travel and lifestyle-related questions I almost always get from folks I meet so figured I’d make a blog post out of it, and maybe you’ll get to know me a tad bit better in the process as well! Here we go…

1. What’s the last book you read? Would you recommend it? – Driving the Saudis. Kinda travel-related and not really but yes, I would recommend it. Quick read, interesting, certainly a page-turner.2. What’s the quirkiest thing about the town where you grew up? – I grew up in Oman and quite frankly cannot think of anything quirky during my 10 years growing up there.3. What was your first job? – Editor at a print monthly chess magazine in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. I travelled to a few local chess shows, interviews and events even then.4. What’s your best party trick? – None. I am an open book. I do got some dance moves though ;)5. How did you get into your field of work? Would you like to try something different? – Always worked with words and will always work with words.6. What’s the best restaurant in your area of the city? – Lalibela for Ethiopian.7. What’s the most exotic food you’ve ever tried? – Moose in Stockholm.8. Which item on your bucket list will be the easiest to tackle? The most difficult? – Don’t have much of a bucket list. Have a wish-list filled with places I want to visit and that is probably the easiest and the most difficult to tackle!9. What is one out-of-the-ordinary thing about your daily routine? – I have a playlist of five songs I change every month and I have to listen to it at least once a day when I am taking a break or during chores. My day is incomplete without this!10. What’s your favorite travel accessory to wear? How many do you own? – A white cap I received during a trip to Eagle Island GA. I have only the one.

Was only on my third or fourth trip to NYC that I managed to visit the Statue of Liberty. History sure leaves an impression.

11. What’s the best thing you’ve ever bought at a thrift shop/flea market/yard sale? – A dress that everyone comments well on each time I wear it on a trip and won’t believe it was a thrift store purchase!12. Would you rather explore a new city or relax on the beach when you go on vacation? – Explore a new city.13. If you could have any superpower, what would you pick? – Cloning.14. What’s your guilty pleasure TV show/musical artist/movie? – None. I have celebrity crushes once in a while though and will watch everything available with that person. Current celebrity crush – Milo Ventimiglia so I binge-watched This is Us and eagerly await the Gilmore Girls reunion.15. What city have you visited that you found most inspiring? – Amsterdam16. How did you choose your major in college? – My parents wouldn’t let me study what I wanted to (journalism) and didn’t like anything else the local colleges offered then so given the limited options, I went with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology since nobody had any clue what that was and couldn’t offer me unwanted, unwelcome advice on what to do with my life!17. When you were young, what did you want to be as a grown-up? – Aircraft crew.18. What was your first car? What do you use for transportation now? – Subaru Forrester. Kia Sorrento.19. How do you clear your mind after a long day? – Listen to music, stare at the wall, eat chocolate, drink wine, phone a friend, sometimes all of that together.20. What film last made you laugh? – Intouchables (French) I recommend it to everyone. Also Omar Sy is just one fabulous actor.

Never did Mardi Gras in New Orleans but certainly managed a road trip once and loved everything about the place. Need to head back for Mardi Gras though.

21. What’s the most unbelievable-but-true thing that’s ever happened to you? Panic attack before my first and last zip line experience.22. Where have you traveled that inspired you? Japan23. What non-work passion project are you working on? – My novel24. Do you follow the zodiac? Do you think your sign represents you? – Not really. Yes truly. I am Gemini, if that answer did not already give that away.25. If you had a free round-trip airplane ticket to anywhere in the world, where would you go? Antarctica26. What’s the best concert you’ve ever seen? Enrique Iglesias in the U.S. Shankar Mahadevan with Mandolin Srinivas, Zakir Hussain and Sivamani in India.27. Who in your life would you choose to be your partner on “The Amazing Race?” Le husband.28. What’s your go-to meal to cook if you want to impress a dinner guest? Rice and spicy chicken curry with this unnamed flan-like egg sweet I always bake for dessert.29. Do you collect anything? Why? – Refrigerator magnets of all the places I have visited, Starbucks mugs of the countries I have visited. They are the cheapest souvenirs of a trip, easy to pack, to carry, and store, yet memorable each time and always accompanied with a fond story or strong memory of the place, and a surefire conversation starter.30. What podcast(s) do you listen to get you through a commute? – For the life of me I cannot commit to a podcast, I zone out within seconds, give me the transcript any day and I will speed read the hell out of it. I listen to music when I commute and love Spanish songs for a long drive – it’s always a party!

Among some of the things I never thought I'd like was this fresh as ever conch salad in the Dominican Republic.

31. Do you take any classes or practice a particular hobby? Would you like to? – French. For years now. I took a break for a year while settling into life in LA but am ready to get started again in 2017. I can speak somewhat fluently but the aim to speak as well as a local.32. Have you always lived here? - I currently live in Hollywood and moved here a year ago. I lived in Atlanta GA before that for 10 years and it is the only place in America I called home ever. I was born in India, raised in Oman, moved back to India for higher studies and work before I moved to the U.S.33. What is the one thing that people are surprised to learn about you at first meets? - That I am tall. Not very but at 5ft8in I am usually taller than most and easily tower over others in my 2-3in heels.34. Any hidden talents? – I am pretty good with accents. I easily switch on and off between my Indian and American accent. I somehow unknowingly sometimes seem to adapt to the accent of the person I am speaking to. Uncanny, even for me, and have been called out on it a few times but I promise it is not a conscious move!35. One activity you are always ready for? – I got three - Travel to a new destination, eating out at a new restaurant, going dancing/clubbing!

​That's it! Hope that made for some fun reading :) Have other questions for me? Comment below. Have a similar post on your blog? I'd love a link to read it! Cheers.

Moose??? What did that taste like? I've had kangaroo meat, which I loved!! I can relate to the height thing. I'm 5' 7" as well and many people who are shorter than me say "You're so tall." And i'm like not really. What about folks 6 feet and higher? My stepsis does that accent thing so well. Like I don't even understand why she switches back and forth. She'll do a Black american accent to British to regular American to semi-Nigerian. In my head, i'm like PICK ONE and stick to it! LOLOL!

Reply

Ruksana

1/2/2017 12:41:00 pm

Thanks for reading Ann! Moose was actually cooked like steak so did not feel much different from beef but you could sense it wasn't the same type of meat. Loved reading your comments :)